Tanya_cotto

I've been in Las Vegas, NV for the last week. and oh boy, it was hard as heck to stay on the wagon. but i did it! from Los Angeles its about a four hour drive, so its drive two hours, take a break grab a snack and keep going. Instead of snacking on chips i grabbed a banana and some coffee, I tried to keep my portions under control but that was a struggle, but i did do a lot of walking in 105 degree heat (at night!!!) Also went to the Grand Canyon (west) and did some hiking, and saw a show! (Phantom Of The Opera! Amazing!) Nice Little Vacation! And My final diet is tomorrow! I'm scared as heck since we're going to submit to the insurance soon after! I wonder how long it will take from tomorrows appointment for the OBand center to submit the paper work? Also how long for a response (Aetna)? Lots of questions, Lots of thinking going on!

Thanks for the support! I really Appreciate it!

I've noticed that i'm becoming more hesitant to cook for myself and my family as I've been going through the process and learning about the ins and outs of weight loss. I'm saddened by this because i love to cook. cooking, baking, sauteing, grilling, etc.. etc... I don't know if it's part of my addiction to food, the way I've been educated about food, the way I've been brought up, or just part of my personality. Bah! I've been on summer vacation for a while as well as doing a summer internship at a vet/pet hospital. Summer's in full swing, but my internship is coming to an end which worries me since the internship keeps me moving and active. Since I'm not working right now, and not in school, i end up sitting or lying around literally doing nothing. With the invention of Netflix on my PS3 i'm able to support this lazy attitude quite easily. What i have found motivating on Netflix are a few shows. 'Heavy' as well as 'Hoarders' keep me moving since i don't want to end up like the people on those shows. I really need to find a job are refocus my life before i fall of the wagon completely. As it is, it feels like i'm barely holding on. Might just be the PMS that's making me feel lazy and tired. Note to Self: Get over it! =)

Yay! Horray! Woo Hoo!! Congratz Congratz Congratz!! I wish you a smooth surgery and a speedy recovery! =D

Congratulations about the Scubs!!! That's my next goal! Smaller scrubs!!

I like your hair in this photo! Looking Good!

So i've started an internship at a vets office/hospital Its been a great learning experience and I've met a lot of great people (and animals!) The only downfall has been that my allergies are up so i have to take allergy meds which are messing with my blood pressure. Bah! I have also been missing time with this blog and the support groups/panels, etc... I'm just getting tired of waiting for this process to be over with! I'm getting frustrated because i need some sort of movement or something to keep me motivated while the process is taking its time. Luckily i only have two more weeks until my "diet" is over and we submit to the insurance company for approval! Hooray! The puppy that i got for my grandmother is getting spayed tomorrow. I'm anxious for her and finally had that moment when i was reaching for the chips, as i was making arrangements to comfort myself or keep myself for getting overwhelmed, that i realized that i wasn't hungry. i made myself not only step away from them, but also throw them away. I had a big glass of ice water and tried to relax. I'm glad that i'm catching myself more and more often. I'm losing weight slowly, but at least its going!

Summer is here! The flowers are blooming, the marine layer is up and its time to clean out the garage! My dad and i basically share a renovated garage. I keep spare items in there fabric, art supplies as well as my dogs things Over the years the garage has gotten stuffed with useless things, old paint, seeds gardening tools etc... now that the sunshine is out i'm going to bust some dust bunny butt! I actually find that giving myself these projects are distracting me so that i don't end up in the kitchen looking for a snack! Much fun!

So the initial appointments and the screening were moving fast! Once a week i had like 2-3 so it felt super productive But as time rolls by I'm getting tired of waiting Waiting for my insurance for the other appointments for my "diet" to finish for summer school to start etc etc... I'm trying to keep myself occupied but that's not very easy! I'm building up my chicken coop and laying down some grass for them. Cleaning Playing computer games Trying not to shop (too much) and watching Dog the Bounty Hunter I really need to start going to the beach with my dog. No Joke She's over weight as well. I'm not the only one to blame though, grandma likes to give her lots of loving and treats. I need some encouragement some inspiration something to keep my busy.

So today i had to restructure my chicken coop! Moved the house around, swept up the food crumbs on the floor and cleaned the surrounding area of debris Had i thought that I was going to do this earlier, i would have held off on my shower. But now I'm sweaty, muddy and covered in feather, brush and bugs! Ha! All well, good work out and i still managed to multitask and play with the puppies! I also woke up to take the second part of my psychological testing. Lost of questions that don't really pertain to me ( i.e. all of the substance abuse questions... don't use drugs, legal or not) The Testing apparently has three parts to it, which i didnt know, i really thought that it was just the first appointment. I'm confident though, I know i'm not that crazy! My Netflix arrived with a surprise! Sarah Palin's Alaska! I love reality TV shows like this, Clean, fun, exciting, no "hanky panky" so i can watch it with my dad! While i don't hunt, i liked the fact that she does it to feed her family, not for the sport aspect of it. I'm not saying that i agree/disagree with her politically, but she seems like a genuinely nice person. Good Show, i recommend it. Makes me want to visit Alaska! LapBand wise, Does anyone have a protein powder that they recommend? Right now i'm taking the target brand powder. $18 for lbs of Vanilla with 25g of protein. Taste wise its decent! I like it with orange juice or soy milk. Is it OK to order some from Amazon?? Any good?

Thanks for the tips!!

So I've been taking protein shakes in the morning per my doctors request. So far, just by adding that to my lifestyle, I've found that i have way more energy, and I've also lost about 6 lbs It hasn't been so hard, now i just drink my breakfast when before i would just skip it. I guess my body has come to expect the effects of the protein in the morning, because i skipped it the day before last, and i felt super hungry and tired, as well as irritated! Bah! But now i'm getting tired of drinking and want something more solid. My solution was to make some organic Corn bread with the protein powder mixed in. I have free range chickens, so i used there eggs with some fresh corn meal that i got at the farmers market, some organic flour and the powder replaced the sugar. used applesauce to replace the oil/butter and added blueberries from my garden! Threw it all in my bread machine and out came a delicious product! Yummers! Had a small helping with my coffee! Right now i'm on summer break, and already i am bored out of my mind! I've been gardening, building and playing with my animals, but that is only interesting for a portion of the day. I've started playing a computer game but its addicting, so i have to make compromises with myself! I.E.. if all of my (self-imposed) chores are done, i can play for 1 hour Then i have to Clean the kitchen! Afterwards i can play for 30 mins Then i clean the living room! and make my bed! before bed i normally play another hour. I want to incorporate some exercise into this plan so that i can get off my bum and do something!! Yesterday i took my grandmothers Rabbit (Moi) to the Vet's to have him neutered! I drove by a Grocery Outlet and couldn't resist a quick trip! They have a lot of products for a lot less that a normal grocery store. I used to love this store when i was living in Sacramento, CA and in college, that said, I practically ran in, first I picked up some hanging baskets, a basil plant as well as a bag of fresh tomatoes then i saw it! The aisles of frozen foods/processed foods/sugary sweet foods that got me through those late nights studying and writing papers. I had the urges to stock up of frozen burritos, chips, cookies, kid themed cereals, pop tarts, and other bad bad foods. The Urge was so strong, but i kept reminding myself that those foods would taste so good for about 2 mins, then i would feel like crap and gain weight, the i'd end up eating more because i'd feel like crap and the cycle would start again! Bah!!! I grabbed myself by the collar, and with every person i saw in the store, i told them ((**In My Mind**)) To keep me away from those foods! It worked! When i found myself drifting back to those aisles and browsing, I'd imagine the mom telling me to set a good example for her kids, the grandpa telling me how those foods had let to his health problems and the other heavier set people telling my to be brave and walk away! Its silly and sounds strange, but i talked myself out of buying those foods. I ended up with my original products and a bottle of wine. I never knew that when i started this journey that I'd be battling with myself so fiercely to stay on the right track! LOL Oh me oh my! I'm definitively ready to change my life!

The Veggie Chili from Boca is Delicious! super soft but flavorful! Its a good brand as well as the Garden burger brand Trader Joes has a good variety as well as whole foods if those are close to you.

I Support your Decision! (if that helps any ) I know that the liquids suck, maybe you can try and add some different varieties or even freeze some tea and chew that? Keep up the good work! You'll be a Hot Mama soon enough and you won't even remember how tough it was! Good Luck! I know you can do it!